The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-06-15
THE BITES OF MAD poas.
Curious Errors as to Cures-Pasteur's Fall
ure to Demonstrate His Theory.
BY w. b. FLETCHER. N. D.


BY W. E.. FLETCHER, NJ. D.
The long, hot days of summer bring
forth the annual crop OF mad dog items in
the daily press.
These items are usually sensational as to
facts, creating alarm among good mothers
whose urchins are at school, or, on the
other hand, an involuntary advertisement
for some quack who reports cases of cure
of mad dog bite by the mad stone or
otherwise. The "mad stone" by the way,
is Usually supposed to be the only one in
existence, which has been handed down for
several hundred years in the owners fami-
w." or lone of three that are owned in
various parts OF The world"
In reality, mad. stone" is any dry,
porous stone, soft piece of brick, chalk,
plaster paris, some kinds of soap-stone, ETC.,
which, through its porosity, become absorb
eut al d adheres,strongly to any cut in the
flesh that bleeds, whether such be made
by he fsngs of dog or with jack knife.
The French chemist, Pasteur, has of late
years drawn much attention to himself, to
France, and to his large hospital, by his
method of treating persons who have been
bitten by animals supposed to De rabld.
This he does by creating an artificial ami
NAL poison, which he uses upon the vic
tim much as the physician vaccinates
against smallpox. Unfortunately for the
world. Pasteur has failed to demonstrate
his theory by curing any large pro portion
of his cases, but he has made a large sum
of money, beside what the Government has
donated to him, be having the largest
gratuitous advertising of any man in the
world.
The various remedies for mad dog bite
would fill volume, and while most of
them are as absurd as the artificial hydro
phobiaproducer" OF Pasteur (who has no
superior as a scientist), yet these remedies,
which emanated among the ignorant have
caused quite as many cures,
Here is one recipe, purchased for fabu-
lous sum by the King Of Prussia from q
peasant, for the benefit of his physicians
and bis subjects. at a great expense, he
arranged that the medicine should be kept
in convenient places all over the country,
all mobiles. country gentlemen, ministers,
sections and others being obliged to ad-
minister it at once in case of bite of any
rabid animal. This specific remedy was
nothing more than a beetle something
like our oricket) which was to be kept in
honey, this to be given in doses of tea
spoonful or two TO the human subject, and
more TO larger animals.
Another specific to cure hydrophobia, or
canine madness, was purchased by King
George Ill, and made known for the good
If mankind. 1t is as follows:
oil enough to make three egg-sheIls full !;
put into fryingpan on gentle fire; stir
with knife until il becomes thick Jelly"
This remedy was uncertain il not used be-
fore nine days, and the patient was to take
the above dose every twelve hours for two
days, and the wound must be scratched
open twice day with splinter of fire.
wood"
Hundreds Of remarkable cures are re-.
from both
is more Difficult. to combat than popular
errors, and the ignorant rarely appreciate
an attempt in this direction
The error of the practice of Pastear aud
OF the mad stone, and a thousand like
specifics, comes from the fact that they do
not distinguish between animals who bite
In anger or excitement from those who
bite while mad from byd:ophObia. Also,
because they do not recognize the fact that
an animal with hydrophobia may bite 100
Others and infect only few.
Hartwig iDoculated thirty dogs direct
from one having hydrophobia; in only six
was the disease produced RenauIt caused
100 animals-dOgs, horses and sheep-to be
bitten by rabid dogs; of these sixty-seven
became infected.
or the 1877 dogs bitten by mad-dogs in
the years 1923 and 1887, and subsequently
kept under observation at the Veterinary
School in Berlin, only SIX died from hydro
phobia; the rest remained well. Doubt.
less had 134 boys trodden on nails, punct.
urirg the foot, or exploded torpedo in
the palm of the hand, as many would have
died from lock.jaw, a disease so like hydro
phobia as to be believed by some ply
sicians identical with it.
In case dog has become mad, 1t is bet
ter 10 keep him until it is proven that he
has rabies, rather than kill him and be left
to suppose that those he has bitten are in
fected, whereas the dog may have simply
become angry, or 'out Of his head" for the
time.
The mental effect of supposing ones self
infected frequently drives persons to in
sanity and death whereas, if the animal
bad been kept alive, this mental impression
would have been removed.
The is no specific for hydrophobia, and
in case you are bitten, clean the wound
and let it bleed until you can call your
physician. The majority of chances are in
your favor-that is, that the dog is not
mad. And again, if he has rabies, there is
a possibility that no infection will follow.